By Cathy Lichty

Once there was a man who worked hard and was always boasting to people that he was such a hard worker, a good man, even a great man. He never felt that his neighbors gave him the respect he deserved. One year he had amassed quite a good sum of money so at harvest time he went to first one farmer and then the next buying up all of the grain and produce from their fields. When his neighbors and the other people from the town went to the market they were stunned to find that almost all of the food had been already purchased and there was nothing to sell them. The people were very worried – how were they to eat and feed their families through the year until the next harvest.

The man built a large storage shed, a smoke house and a larder to store his food. He was very pleased with himself and did not care at all that others might go hungry.

One day when he came home from work his wife greeted him and ushered him into the dining room. There instead of the normal small table set for his family of four, she had a large long table set for twenty. Many of his neighbors were at table and they all stood and toasted him when he walked in. “What is this”, he asked his wife, “why are all these people here.” “Oh my husband”, she said, “I invited all these people to dinner to show them what a truly great and good man you are. When they see what I fine table you set and what a generous host you are they will learn to appreciate you.” “Oh yes,” said the man, “that is a good idea.”

The man greeted his guests and they all thanked him warmly for his invitation to dine. The man felt very happy that his neighbors now understood that he was a truly good and great man. As the guests left, the man’s wife made sure they each took home a basket of left-overs and each of the guests stopped to thank the man for his great generosity and goodness. The next night the man returned home from work and again his dining room was filled with twenty or more of his neighbors.

”Wife what is this, why have you invited all these guests? “ “Oh husband word got around about what a truly great and good man you are and these people just had to see it for themselves. Isn’t it a wonderful thing for all these people to learn to respect and appreciate you?” “Oh well,” said the man, “ yes it is.” The man greeted his guests and they all expressed their appreciation for the man’s kindness and generosity. Again when they left they each took home a basket of left-overs and each stopped to thank the man sincerely. The man was well pleased.

That night the man expressed his pleasure to his wife for the work she had done to feed so many people but he cautioned her that that was enough; she was not to invite any more people to dine at his table. The next night as the man approached his house he heard the sound of many voices laughing and talking and saw lights on in the yard of his house. Instead of entering his front door he went around to his backyard. The yard was filled with people milling about, eating from plates they carried around with them.

“Hip hip hooray for a truly great and good man.” They cheered. The man was swarmed by people patting him on the back and thanking him for his great generosity. “You are a truly good and great man”, they all said.

That night the man was too overwhelmed and tired out to say anything to his wife and really what could he say. All through the winter and the spring he continued to find appreciative ebullient neighbors and townspeople eating at his home. When he expressed concern that he did not have enough food to feed such crowds his wife just pointed to the storage shed, the smoke house, and the larder and assured him there was plenty. He tried telling her she must not work so hard feeding all these people and she should tell them she could not continue this. But she explained that several of the neighbor women came every day to help and she really had little work to do at all.

Finally his food stores were about at an end. The new year’s crops were being harvested and brought to market. After his huge purchase last year, this year the man had barely enough money to buy the basic foods for just his family. The other people in town however had saved their food money from last year and were able to stock their larders quite amply this year. The man’s wife stopped inviting guests to dine. But the man and his wife received invitations almost every night to dine with one or another of his neighbors and townspeople. All were happy to share their meals with such a truly great and good man.